Justin Schlosberg, owner of Ole Man Berkins, a used/rare/new bookstore in Breckenridge, Colo., wants to sell the store and plans to move to Bend, Ore., where he intends to open a new bookstore.
Ole Man Berkins has about 2,300 square feet of space and more than 100,000 books, as well as some DVDs, LPs, CDs, comics and magazines. Its specialties are new releases, the Beats, poetry, sci-fi and fantasy, classics, children's and perhaps "the second largest Louis L'Amour section north of Texas." The market consists of 4,000-6,000 year-round residents and tens of thousands of people who come to the resort town to ski and relax.
Schlosberg bought Ole Man Berkins in 2004, which was originally called Not Your Culture and was in a much smaller space. Over the years, he expanded by taking over retail spaces next to the original location.
Although he knows that Bend, Ore., has at least seven bookstores already, Schlosberg said intends to create a bookstore that would be different from what currently operates there: besides offering new and used books, he wants, he said, to offer candle-making events, a chess night, Scrabble and an open mic night as well as offer art and a literary escape room. After living in Breckenridge for almost 23 years, he is "ready for a change."
Schlosberg may be reached via e-mail or phone at 719-838-0100.